The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-01

IN right proportion we must mix other
ingredients to give the proper content
OF phosphoric acid, ammonia and pot
ash
An average Of many analyses of
cotton seed meal made at the expert
ment station gives in 100 lbs. meal,
$50 lbs. phosphoric acid 60 lbs.
ammonia and l6l lbs. potash. We
see, therefore, meal contains about
four times as much ammonia as a
commercial fertilizer, just equal IN
in amount of potash, but deficient in
the amount of phosphoric acid.
The hull of the cotton seed contains
also. but in very small quantities, am
monia, potash and phosphoric acid
4. Can farmer odvantageously er-
change sohole cotton seed for cotton seed
meal; # so, IN a0hat proportion can he do
so aoah profit to hinaseJf2
Answer. AS the meal is by far the
most valuable as a fertilizer Of any of
the ingredients of the cotton seed, a
farmer can we'll afford to throw aside
the comparatively valueless parts for
the sake of getting this meal, espec-
tally if he gets more than he gives
1t is the custom of the oil mills to
give l ton of meal in exchange for 2.
tons of seed, and in some cases that
have come to my knowledge have paid
the freight on the seed sent to them
Let us see if this is fair exchange.
1850 lbs. PhOsDhOric acid
1920 Ammonia
47.2O Potash
If these ingredients are valued Just
as commercial fertilizers are valued
now, and for example for phosphoric
acid 6 cents, for ammonia l6 cents,
and for potash cents per pound. The
total would be $247l.
On the other hand, l ton of cotton
seed meal contains:
$500 lbs. Phosphoric acid
172.0O " Ammonia
1920 " Potash
which when calculated as before gives
the valuation of $32.77.
So by the exchange the farmer
gives fertilizing ingredients amounting
to $24.71, and gets back ingredients
amounting to $32.77, making $8.08
by the transaction Of course it is
unnecessary to say that the oil mills
make profit in saving the oil which
is of no value to the farmer, and using
the hulls which they burn under their
engines as fuel. -,.
1t must not be forgotten, however,
that when the exchange has been made
large quantity of vegetable matter
(the hulls of the cotton seed) has been
lost to the soil, that is, if the whole
seed had been applied to the soil, in
stead of the cotton seed meal which is
gotten by the exchange. ....
AS we saw, the hulls roughly speak
ing amount to one half by weight of
the whole cotton seed, so in the trans
action l ton of hulls is thereby lost.
This represents so much vegetable mat
ter which should go back to the soil,
when the meal is applied to the land
for the purpose of fertilizing it. This
vegetable matter may be supplied in
the form of leaf rakings, vegetable
mould or the like, and should not be
forgotten when the compost is being
made.
1t is quite essential that this vegeta-
BILE matter should be applied to the
soil; for it not only supplies ingredi-
ents valuable to the growing plant by
decomposition, but it by this very
change lightens up the soil also and
fits it for the better development of the
young sprout and the future stalk.
It may be that oil mills are all COM
bined in one vast monopoly, but if
they give back more fertilizing mate
rial than the farmer sends to them,
then I would strongly advise his &C.
cepting the proposition, if he puts
back on the soil the meal and an
equivalent in vegetable matter to the
hulls which he loses. "
,... II. B. BATTLE